Chapter 148: Triple threat match

Ninth Match: Dosu Kinuta vs Yoroi Akado

Hayate glanced between the two contestants, his voice raspy as ever."Begin."

Dosu didn't even flinch. He stood calmly, his bandaged face hidden beneath his high collar, while the speaker embedded in his right arm gleamed faintly under the arena lights.

Yoroi cracked his fingers, one by one. "I'll make this quick. You won't even know when your chakra's gone."

"Oh? Try me," Dosu murmured, eyes narrowing.

Yoroi dashed in fast, closing the gap in a heartbeat. His hand shot out to grab Dosu's arm—Only for Dosu to sidestep with surgical precision.

WHRRRR—THRUMM!A sudden burst of sound exploded from Dosu's arm, the wave slamming Yoroi across the chest.

Yoroi staggered, gripping his ears. "W-what the—?"

Dosu's eyes gleamed. "Your body's 70% water. Sound vibrates. I don't need to hit hard. I just need to resonate."

Yoroi snarled and lunged again, desperate to land a hold. His chakra-draining palms grazed Dosu's cloak—almost—

THRUMMM!Another sound burst, this time aimed at Yoroi's skull.

His balance faltered. The world around him spun.

He collapsed to his knees.

Dosu walked forward like a grim reaper with a subwoofer.

"I can shatter your eardrums. Scramble your inner ear. Rupture your nerves. Want to keep playing?"

Yoroi groaned and fell flat.

Hayate stepped forward, coughed, then raised a hand.

"Yoroi is unable to continue. Dosu advanced to the next round."

Yoroi was carried off by the Iryo-nin squad.

Dosu, cold and silent, exited the arena like a ghost with bass-boosted footsteps.

Then, the final match of the prelims was called.

Triple Threat Match:Naruto Uzumaki vs Kin Tsuchi vs Choji Akimichi

From above the observation balcony, Naruto leapt straight down into the arena, his cloak fluttering behind him.

Temari, who had just regained full consciousness, stirred slightly. Her tired eyes locked onto Naruto—and the moment she saw his healed body and confident stance, she blinked, visibly surprised. She tried to sit up.

In the stands, Ino and Sakura shouted in perfect unison, "Win this, Naruto!"

The harmony cracked when they turned to glare at each other like cats fighting over a sunny spot.

Naruto glanced at them and gave a cheeky grin, winking like the menace he was.

Hinata quietly nodded in support, clutching the railing with a warm blush.

Karin leaned back, arms crossed, smirking. "He better."

And then he noticed Temari—trying to sit up, determined to watch his match. He gave her a soft, boyish smile.

Temari's eyes widened, and she quickly looked away, cheeks tinted the faintest pink.

Now, stepping into the arena was Kin Tsuchi, her head held high, eyes sharp like a kunai.From the opposite end, Choji Akimichi sauntered in, casually munching on a bag of chips.

He tossed a few to Naruto. "Here, you're gonna need energy."

Naruto caught them, laughed. "Thanks, bro."

Choji crumpled the empty bag and struck a sumo stance. "Let's do this."

Kin narrowed her eyes, composed and poised.

Naruto turned to her with a grin. "Hey, beautiful. I don't like to hit girls—how about you bow out now?"

Kin scoffed, crossing her arms. "I don't like hitting weak boys either. Why don't you take the easy way out?"

The arena erupted in laughter.

Naruto placed a hand over his heart like he had been shot. "Oof! Cold and bold—I like that. Arrogant girls with bite? That's my type. How about a date after the match?"

Kin raised an eyebrow, momentarily thrown. "As I said, I don't date weaklings."

"Oh?" Naruto grinned wider. "Then I guess I'll just have to prove I'm strong enough to be your type."

While Naruto playfully flirted with Kin, sparks practically crackling in the air, a quieter spark was about to catch fire in the stands.

Temari leaned sideways, her voice low but pointed as she turned to Karin, seated just beside her.

"Why don't you stop him?" she asked, eyeing Naruto's smooth-talking below. "Isn't he your brother? And also… the boyfriend of those three?" She motioned subtly toward Ino, Sakura, and Hinata.

Karin let out a light laugh—somewhere between a sigh and a shrug. "Oh, Temari. What can we do? He's been like this since birth. Flirty, stubborn, loud—and loyal as hell. So we let him be. No chains, no rules."

She turned, her red eyes flashing with pride. "Naruto's the kind of guy who'll tear down the sky if it gets in the way of someone he loves. That's not the kind of man you restrict."

Temari glanced again at Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. None of them looked upset. In fact, they were smiling—sharing glances like teammates rather than rivals.

Slowly, the idea was settling in Temari's mind.

Maybe... that kind of love doesn't have to be divided. Maybe it can be shared.

But then, Karin dropped a truth bomb so big, it made Temari feel like she got hit with a Oto's Genjutsu.

"Oh, and one more thing," Karin said, twirling a strand of her hair like it was no big deal. "I am his sister, yeah. But I'm also one of his girlfriends. There are two more like me. One's here in Konoha... and the other's outside the village."

Temari blinked. "...Wait, what?"

She looked back at Naruto, who was still smiling down below like this was just another Tuesday.

Temari's heart stuttered.

What the actual hell kind of whirlwind have I stepped into?

Down below, the arena crackled with tension.

Hayate stepped forward, voice clear and sharp: "Begin!"

No hesitation.

Kin moved first—flicking her fingers, a set of senbon needles flying through the air, aimed at both Naruto and Choji.

The match had begun.

And in more ways than one... so had the chaos.

Naruto brought his finger to his chin, tilting his head slightly—like a philosopher pondering the mysteries of ramen. Senbons sliced through the air toward him, but he didn't even glance their way.

Swish. Swish.

With casual grace, he tilted his head and leaned slightly to the side, the needles barely grazing his hair.

Meanwhile, Choji didn't bother with flair. "Bubun Baika no Jutsu!" he shouted.

With a puff of smoke, his arm expanded dramatically. He swung it in front like a living shield, the senbons clinking harmlessly against his bulk.

Kin narrowed her eyes. Tch. Of course... Naruto is unpredictable, and Choji's got bulk and defense. This might get tricky.

She weighed her options, already calculating.

Then, Naruto suddenly snapped his fingers, like he just remembered something important.

"I got it!" he exclaimed with a bright grin.

And then—he sat down.

Right in the middle of the ring. Cross-legged. Chill as a summer breeze. Like he just ordered snacks and was waiting for the delivery.

Everyone in the stadium blinked.

Hayate choked on air.

Choji paused mid-motion.

Even Kin froze, one senbon between her fingers.

"What... is he doing?" Temari muttered from the stands, both confused and weirdly intrigued.

Sakura facepalmed. "He's doing that thing again."

Ino giggled. "He's trying to get in her head."

Hinata blushed. "It... it always works somehow."

Karin just shook her head. "Classic Naruto."

Down in the arena, Naruto looked up at Kin, his hands behind his head now." Don't mind me, attack each other. I'll just be here. Watching. Judging. Learning."

Kin's eye twitched.

Choji raised an eyebrow. "Hey! Don't just sit out the fight!"

Naruto just yawned. "Fight smarter, not harder, bro."

The crowd was stunned—but thoroughly entertained.

This wasn't just a battle of jutsu anymore.

This was psychological warfare, and Naruto Uzumaki had just declared himself the king of mind games.